


zorophobia

by denji



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mugiwara no Ichimi | Straw Hat Pirates, Oneshot, Reader-Insert, like no action lol, zoro is sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27484108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denji/pseuds/denji
Summary: [roronoa zoro / reader]zorophobia - an irrational fear of mossheads.in which the reader is a bit confused about what she thinks about our local swordsman.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	zorophobia

When Sanji asks you to bring Zoro down for dinner, you give him a silent plea to ask anybody besides yourself. Robin gives you an understanding glance and Sanji laughs, saying that he’ll cook the moss-head if he does anything. You laugh along with them, secretly wringing your hands behind your back. Chopper pats your leg in reassurance. 

“What? Are ya scared of him or something?” Luffy asks, his head tilting like a dog’s. You shrug meekly, a grimace rising. Of course, you were on good terms with the swordsman, but he was just so… intimidating. Ever since you joined the Strawhats, everyone had taken an instant liking to you, the crew being one of the most friendly you had encountered on the high-seas. Nami enjoyed complaining to you about the boys since she was the one who initially recruited you. They were good company. You blink owlishly at the captain, trying to hide your obvious fear of the green-haired combatant.

“Well… no, but… maybe a little,” you say sheepishly, rubbing the nape of your neck. Luffy blinks back at you, his eyebrows scrunching.

“Why?” You cringe at the question, shrugging again. This conversation is uncomfortable, to say the least. He just… scares you. Maybe it’s his deep, husky voice? Maybe it’s his stark, unyielding gaze? Or maybe it’s--

“Uhh, no reason. I’ll go fetch him now.” A blush rises on your skin as you retreat to the second floor of the ship and reluctantly make your way to the back, where Zoro was training with his ridiculously large weights. Can you even call them weights? They’re more like massive chunks of metal he throws around. 

“Zoro?” You call out. His bronze figure swings a weight mightily through the air, his muscles rippling under olive-toned skin. Sweat beads trail down his back as each swing exerts a guttural grunt and a whoosh of air. You avert your eyes from his half-naked form, your cheeks warming. He doesn’t respond. “Zoro!” He still doesn’t seem to hear your shout. Taking a deep breath, you adjust your stance.

“Zoro!!” You yell out, your voice loud enough for the rest of the crew to hear a faint cry. He turns around abruptly, bringing the weight with him. 

“Huh?” You duck with a yelp, narrowly avoiding flying into the waters beneath you. He nods at you in greeting, setting down the metal. “Oh, [Name]-san.” You cough and get up from your position on the floor. Dusting off your clothes, you clear your throat and avert your eyes once more. It’s kind of hard, considering how… eye-catching the man next to you is. 

“Uh… Sanjiwantsyoutocomedowntodinnerokaybye!” The words come flying out of your mouth, but it’s an achievement since you had barely managed to greet him when you had first met the other pirates. Dashing back to the kitchen, you curse at yourself for being ‘scared’ of him once again.  _ Damn, [Name]! Don’t you want to become a world-class pirate?! How you become one if you can’t even talk to your own crewmate?!  _ Huffing once you arrive at the kitchen, Sanji takes notice of the obvious pink on your cheeks.

“Dear [Name]-chan! Your face is such an ethereal red; it would be just as beautiful on an apple but it is also a concerning shade to adorn!” The cook holds his hand to your forehead, simultaneously ushering you to the kitchen table. “Sit, my dear sweet -- have you fallen ill?” You chuckle and bat at his hand, the attention ebbing away at your anxiety. 

“I’m fine, Sanji-san. Thank you, though.” 

“Anything for you,  _ mon amour~! _ ” The French nickname he gives you rolls off his tongue with a lilt, and you laugh at his overwhelming catering. Sanji flashes you a smile and begins setting the dishes of food onto the table. Everyone takes their seats around you with the clatter of cutlery and hum of chatter. Fortunately, Zoro has a shirt on now. You avoid eye contact with him yet again.

Once everyone sits and begins eating, you say a quiet thanks to Sanji which earns you a lovestruck gaze. You smile back at him and begin to put food on your plate until you notice that it was already filled. You look around and Nami sends you a wink, gesturing at you with her spoon.

“You gotta eat! Don’t worry, we have plenty to spare.” She nudges you with her shoulder gently, bringing a spoonful of soup to her lips. After swallowing, she clears her throat. “How's the adjustment to the ship?” Everyone slightly perks up at the question and the air stills for a quiet moment. 

“It’s been good, for the most part.” You pause, pondering over your next sentence carefully. Luffy eyes you in curiosity, stopping however many conversations he was having to listen to you. “Everyone’s been kind and really helpful. I mean, since it’s already been a week and a half, I’m mostly adjusted.  _ Mostly _ .” You say the last part with a wink for emphasis, earning a laugh from the others. 

“Are you still--?” Luffy’s question to you can’t be heard over the other noises, so you strain your ear in his direction. He takes no mind and merely raises his voice. “Are. You. Still. Afraid. Of. Zoro?” He practically yells into your ear, stretching his head to blast his voice into your face. You blink slowly at the rubber man, trying to process what he had said over the ringing in your ears. You can see Zoro squint his eyes in confusion, staring at you with intent. Nami hits the back of Luffy’s head harshly, beginning to scold him for the nth time that day.

“What?? It’s just a question…” Luffy whines childishly, rubbing the spot where she slapped. Sanji and Robin both sigh, collectively shaking their heads. You nervously crack a smile at Zoro, feeling the muscles in your shoulders tense.

“No, no, Nami, it’s fine. It’s just a question.” You take a shaky breath and look to the side, feeling like this conversation wouldn’t have happened in the first place if you had just abided by Sanji’s request without complaining. “Why would I be scared of Zoro? He’s…” You trail off at the end as the crew’s chitchat comes to a complete halt. 

“He’s not… scary. He’s…” The blush that accompanied you earlier comes back all too soon, a fierce red blooming over your face and neck. You cover your face with both hands and lean your head against Nami’s shoulder, a silent request for her to change the topic. 

“Hey! Uh, Zoro! Sanji-kun said that your head looks like a moldy dungball earlier!” Luckily, she knows just what to do. Fanning the flames, the attention of the other crewmates is turned to the ever-growing feud between cook and swordsman. Nami gently rubs a circle on your back, giving you a kind gaze. “Do you need a moment?” You nod slowly, departing from the table without a word and slipping through the kitchen doors. It’s February, but it doesn’t seem like it since you’re sailing through the waters of chain summer-islands. The breeze on your bare arms is warm and the air is quite still for the Grand Line. 

Breathing out a sigh of relief from the rising tension at the dinner table, you lean on the wooden rails of the Going Merry. Groaning into your forearms, the coolness of the skin against your hot forehead is nice. Maybe you are sick or something, like Sanji said. You look up from your bent-over position, staring into the setting sun. The red and orange hues of light reflect against the surprisingly calm waters. The scene is calming. You can hear soft steps coming up from behind you. 

A pair of sturdy arms lean against the rail next to you. You don’t even need to look to recognize this overwhelming presence beside you. Overwhelming but maybe not as frightening as you had initially thought. You turn your head away from him, burying your face into your arms again. Perhaps the silence is even scarier than he is. 

“You’re scared of me?” His voice crackles in the muggy air, like a break in between the breaths of wind that occasionally blow by. You ball your hand into a fist, frustrated that this had come into his knowledge. If only you were given a bit more time to adjust, then maybe this never would have happened. 

“Maybe. I don’t know.” 

You venture a look up at him and the gaze he gives you is so understanding that it makes you feel stupid for even being scared of him in the first place.

“Well, I’ll do what I can to make you feel safer.” Zoro smiles, holding out a fist. “I can’t have one of my own crewmates scared of me.” You fist-bump him back, returning the grin. A warm feeling swells in your chest -- maybe you just confused admiration for fear.


End file.
